Hi. My name is Ray Duckler, I'm the news columnist at the Monitor and, as a passionate journalist with more than 30 years of experience, I love writing about people, places, issues, trends, you name it.

I live in the Concord area, my cat's name is Kukla and my new beat going forward is the Suncook Valley.

That means, you.

Today, we begin the first Suncook Valley Monitor, which is a free email newsletter that will come to you each week. It will include news, notes, tidbits, calendar, real estate sales and anything else I hope will give you more information about your community and what makes it tick.

This week, I went out to a couple of places with great stories to tell that perhaps you know little about. Or maybe you know nothing at all.

First up, I researched the story behind Josie Langmaid, a student at Pembroke Academy who was brutally murdered on her way to school in 1875. The story focuses on a obelisk, a tribute to Josie in Pembroke that is often overlooked.

Next, a small museum in Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown displays leftovers from the Civilian Conservation Corps, a Depression-era program that put America back to work.

Going forward, if you have story ideas or comments, my contact information is below.

Welcome aboard!
Ray

Not even Mala Tyler, who counts herself as an historian, knew anything about the tall granite pillar, a symbol of the town's history in Pembroke, on the side of Academy Road. She'd seen it, as many of you have. It sits directly across the street from the entrance to Three Rivers School.

Thanks for reading